Totally-submerged electrode.



H. H. STOUT.

TOTALLY SUBMERGED ELECTRODE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,19l6.

1,267, 141. Patented May 21, 1918.

WITNESSES INVENTOR g 1%?4) M 5701/7 EZ mz mm ti same HARRY H. STOUT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO NICHOLAS COPPER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TOTALLY-SUBMERGED ELECTRODE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Application filed July 26, 1916. Serial No. 111,395.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY H. STOUT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Totally-Submerged Electrodes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrodes for use in the electrolytic refining of metals, such as copper, for example, and has particular application to such refining by the well known series system in which the electric current passes through a suitable electrolyte from the anode side of each of a row of plate electrodes to the cathode side of the "ext plate in the row. As a result, metal, .ty copper, is removed from the anode side of each plate and is deposited on the cathode side of the next plate. In practical electrolytic refining the electrodes are impure at the beginning of the process, copper electrodes, for example, usually containing silver and gold together with impurities which are relatively valueless. The current strength employed is adapted to deposit pure copper, while leaving behind the gold and silver and other impurities. These impurities become detached from the anodes, descend by gravity through the electrolyte to the bottom of the tank and are collected therefrom in the form of a slime and are then treated to recover their values.

The action of electrolysis removes metal from one side of each electrode and deposits pure metal upon the other side thereof, the original electrode thus becoming thinner and thinner as the process goes on. In arrangements of series electrodes, as ordinarily employed, the level of the electrolyte is maintained below the tops of the plates. Where supporting ears of any kind are utilized for the support of the plates the level of the electrolyte is usually below said ears. In such cases it is obvious that the plate soon becomes greatly weakened at or near the elec trolyte level and that this weakening is progressive as electrolysis continues. This is owing to the fact that no change in the plate takes place above the level'of the electrolyte while below the level of the electrolyte metal is continuously being removed from one side of the plate and added at the same rate to the other side of the plate.

The above disadvantage becomes exceedingly serious when it is desired to employ the series process upon a commercial scale. Here it is obviously desirable to handle the plates mechanically and to be able to insert them in the electrolytic tank and remove them therefrom in a minimum of time. This can only be accomplished when the plates retain permanently their stiffness and form.

It is the purpose of my present invention to so form the plates and construct the tanks in which the plates are held that all the plates are totally submerged beneath the electrolyte when in use. Another objectof my invention is to so arrange plates and tank that the plates can be readily handled mechanically in bulk, as is necessary when they are lifted from or placed in the tank; a still further object of my invention is to so support the plates within the tank that slimes cannot readily settle between the plates so as to short-circuit them and thus make the refining operation ineffective.

My invention will be better understod by referring to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation, part section, embodying a preferred form of my invention, Fig. 2 represents a partial plan View of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 represents a side view, diminished, of the upper part of the electrode.

Referring to the drawings, the tank 1 may be of the usual form and proportions and composed of any suitable and known materials. The upper portion of each of the side walls is provided throughout its length with an internal support or ledge 2 upon which the electrodes 3 are adapted to be supported.

The said walls extend upwardly above said ledge so that the level of the electrolyte may also be maintained higher than said ledge. The electrodes 3 each comprise a flat plate provided with supporting lugs & at the upper sides of the plate, said lugs extending laterally beyond the edges of the plate and the under edges of the lugs being supported upon the tank ledges. A part of the under portion of each of these lugs cut away to form an extension 5 separated from the ledges 2, which extensions constitute handles that may be utilized for introducing electrodes into the tank and removing them therefrom. Any suitable mechanical arrangement may be employed, as before mentioned, to lift the entire plurality of these plates from the electrolyte or to deposit them the bottom of the plates.

in the electrolyte. In such case bars may be run longitudinally beneath the extensions 5' just mentioned.

The electrodes are placed, as shown, parallel to one another, supported upon the ledges 2 and evenly spaced apart.

It will be noted that, according to my invention, the electrodes are totally submerged beneath the electrolyte and at the same time are entirely free of the bottom and sides of the tank, being hung from the lugs 4. The slimes which are formed by the electrolytic process fall naturally to the bottom of the tank and cannot short-circuit the plates until their thickness becomes suflicient to reach When this time arrives the plates are lifted from the tanks and the slimes removed.

While I prefer the arrangement of laterally extending the lugs combined with supporting ledges aflixed to the side Walls of the tank, it is clear that other modes of supporting the plates so as to hang freely submerged, but spaced away from the bottom and side walls of the tank, will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. Thus bars may be placed transversely across the top of a suitable tank and rings threaded over said bars and beneath the lower edges of lugs suitably disposed near the top may be employed. Still other equivalent supporting means may be employed.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, an electrolytic tank comprising side walls each provided with a ledge near but below the top of the wall and an electrode provided with laterally extending supporting lugs resting upon said ledges whereby the electrode is suspended fromsaid lugs.

2. In combination, an electrolytic tank comprising side walls each provided with a ledge and having a portion extending upwardly beyond said ledge, an electrodeprovided with supporting lugs resting upon the ledges of said tank whereby the electrode is suspended from said supports, the top edge of the electrode being below the top of the tank, the electrode being thus adapted to be totally submerged in theelectrolyte of the tank.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' HARRY H. STOUT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

It is hereby certified that the assignee in Letters Patent No. 1,267,141, granted May 21, 1918, upon the application of Harry H. Stout, of New York, N. Y., for an improvement in Totally-Submerged Electrodes, was erroneously described and specified as Nicholas Copper Company, Whereas said assignee should have been described and specified as Nichols Copper Company, as shown by the records of assignments in this office and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent OffiCG.

Signed and sealed this 18th day of June, A. 1)., 1918.

[SEAL] 1 W. H. CLAY,

Acting Commissioner ofPatents. 

